The present invention is directed to an articulated arm for loading and unloading products, in particular fluid products such as, for example, liquefied natural gas.
More particularly it relates to a balanced loading arm equipped with a hydraulic coupling allowing a transfer to be carried out between two vessels moored side-by-side, between a vessel and a platform or a floating barge moored side-by-side, or also between a jetty on which the loading arm is installed and a vessel moored alongside this jetty.
An example of this type of arm is described in the document GB-2 042 466. The connection of the end of this arm to a coupling means provided on the vessel is difficult, even impossible to carry out in difficult sea conditions. Moreover, under these conditions, the risk of impacts between this end and the coupling means is significant. In the majority of cases, these impacts lead to damage to the components constituting the end of the arm or the coupling means.
An aim of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks. In particular it aims to allow the connection/disconnection of a loading arm to/from a vessel in difficult sea conditions.